Page 75 of Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea

‘I don’t know. I think it’s likely but I don’t have any proof.’

‘You could get it.’ When Matt sat up, the duvet slipped down his hairy chest. ‘You could force him to do a DNA test.’

‘I don’t think anyone could force Charles Epping to do anything.’

‘I bet you could. There must be some legal way of forcing the issue.’

‘I don’t want to force anything, and Mum obviously didn’t want me to know him.’

‘Yeah, but your mum’s dead.’

Wow, that was blunt. Rosie winced but Matt was too busy getting out of bed and pushing his legs into his pants and trousers to notice. ‘I don’t understand why you’re so reluctant to pursue this.’

‘I don’t know. Everyone in Heaven’s Cove hates the Eppings so it won’t do much for my popularity round here if they think we might be related.’

‘What do you care? You’ll be back in Spain in a few days’ time. Have you said anything to him about it?’

For one moment, Rosie thought he meant Liam, before realising Matt was talking about Charles. She shook her head.

‘Well, you have to tell him that you might be his daughter.’

‘Why?’

Because if he’s your dad, Rosie, he might want to know. Because you deserve to know who your real father is. Because you must have a million questions about how he and your mum got together and why they parted.

Please say something like that.Rosie stared at Matt, willing him to say the right thing.

Matt pushed his arms into hisI love MálagaT-shirt. ‘Because if he’s as rich as you say he is, you need to make sure you’re in his will. In the meantime, you can get him to gift you this place so you can sell it to a property developer and make some serious money. He owes you that much.’

Cold disappointment flooded through Rosie. Did Matt understand her at all? When she stayed silent, he padded over in his bare feet and put his arms around her. ‘I realise how difficult this all is, Rosie, and I want you to know that I’m here to support you. Always. Oops, I’d better get that.’

Matt pulled his ringing phone from his trouser pocket and glanced at the screen. ‘It’s work. Speak to you in a bit.’

In the doorway, he paused to blow her a kiss before wandering along the landing and padding down the stairs.

Rosie pulled her dressing gown more tightly around her and drew her feet up onto the wide window sill. She used to sit here as a child with her fingers in her ears when her mum and dad were arguing downstairs. The man she thought of as her dad.

Rosie blinked to clear the tears that were blurring her view of the sea and the sky. She knew exactly why she was reluctant to say anything to Charles Epping about her suspicions. His appalling reputation in Heaven’s Cove was a part of it, but mostly she was scared – scared that having been rejected by one father at the age of ten she would be rejected by another at almost thirty.

Lots of people lose one father,said the little voice in her head.But two? What would that say about you, Rosie?